Foundation garment



Feb. 2, 1960 E. c. CLARK FOUNDATION GARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1957 INiVENTOR E l/zabefh Camille O/ar/r &

BY 11d Um ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 E. c. CLARK 2,923,302

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Aug. 28, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Elizabefh Camille Clark BY [9.0. Ujzwtab ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 c, RK 2,923,302

FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Aug. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR E l'zabefh Cami/la G/ar/r 3y L9, l6

ATTORNEY United States PatentO FOUNDATION GARMENT Elizabeth Camille Clark, Dover, Del., assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application August 28, 1957, Serial No. 680,892 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-547) This invention relates to a foundation garment for supporting the human female form. More particularly, this invention relates to a foundation garment construction having super-imposed elastic members arranged on opposite sides of the garment so as to provide a four-point reinforced support for controlling and supporting the human female form.

It has been found that control of the hips and the thighs together with the support and control of the abdomen and the shaping of the buttocks can be accomplished simultaneously in a foundation garment construction without the use of complicated supporting panels, stiffeners, or other elaborate arrangements and constructions. The garment of this invention provides for a four-point bo'dy control on each side thereof by employing a simplified and unique side panel construction consisting of two pieces of two-directional stretch elastic fabric which overlap to form a substantially diamond-shaped reinforced control panel on each side of the garment. These reinforced panels coact with each other and the front and back sections of the body encircling garment to provide controlled tensioning of the body to correct, adjust, and form the human female form. This controlled tensioning pro'duces contractive forces operating in four directions to provide simultaneously a lifting and flattening of the lower portion of the abdomen, an inward cupping of the buttocks, and a smoothing and flattening of the hips and thighs on both sides of the body. The reinforced four-point side panel construction coacts with a fabric front panel to provide the lifting and flattening of the lower abdomen while still allowing a smoothing and flattening action on the section of the abdomen which it covers.

Also coacting with the side and front sections is a back section constructed so that three different panels act as a unit to provide different tensioning of the various sections of the back of the wearer. The bottom panel fo'rming a part of the back section is made from two-way directional stretch elastic fabric with the effect that it provides cupping of the buttocks when the bottom section is tensioned by the reinforced side panels. This buttockco'ntrolling panel functioning together with the reinforced side section allows maximum freedom of leg movement while still providing control of the buttocks. Attached to the buttock-controlling panel is a center panel of vertically stretchable elastic fabric arranged so as to cooperate With the sides and the two-way stretchable fabric at the bottom so that the buttocks are smooth and pulled in thereby providing a graceful and controlled appearance to the caudal portion of the human form. The top section of the back panel is also made of vertically stretchable fabric and is cut and arranged so as to provide a flare at the top portion thereof, thereby providing a control of the upper fleshy part of the back of the wearer. This flared top section provides for complete freedom of movement of the body of the wearer while still providing firm support and control of the back of the wearer.

The center panel cooperates with the attached flared cotton to improve the posture of the wearer thereby eliminating back aches and the tiring of the back of the wearer while still providing the smoothing of the flesh above the point of maximum tension on the back of the wearer, that is, at the waist line where the concave top portion of the center panel and the convexed bottom portion of the top panel are united so that no unsightly protuberances occur due to overhanging flesh. The flared back panel also provides, when taken in combination with the middle back panel, accommodation of the excess flesh by curving of back of the human female form so that unsightly protuberances are gently positioned, formed and co'ntrolled, thus producing the proper and desirable curvature of the body to enhance the wearers grace during all motions and positions of the body.

The coacting of the front, side, and back sections, the arrangement of the various fabric panels stretchable in different directions, and the reinforcement of the sides in the form of panels each having extensions in an upwardly and downwardly direction and in opposite girth-wise directions to provide four-point control bring about simultaneously the total control of the human form from the rib cage down to and including the thighs in a simple and eflicient manner without the use of complicated paneling or a multitude of reinforcements. There is provided in this unique and simplified construction an arrangement of coacting members forming the garment to smooth and flatten the hips, thighs, buttocks, and abdomen as well as the smoothing of unsightly protuberances by the cooperation of a flared top panel in the back section in one simplified action during all motions and positions of the wearer. Also the body encircling garment of this invention provides a balanced foundation device for providing improved comfort and graceful control of the wearer while still allowing full freedom of leg movement and all other motions and movements of the wearer while providing firm support, and contoured shaping and reforming of the body of the wearer in a manner heretofore unattainable.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the front construction of the girdle,

Figure 2 is a view in elevation struction of the girdle,

Figure -3 is a side view in elevation showing the reinforced panel on one side of the girdle,

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the fabric pieces, which form the reinforced panel on one side of the girdle,

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the fabric pieces illustrated in Figure 4 superimposed to form the reinforced side panel,

Figure 6 is an exploded view in elevation of the fabric pieces which form the rear section,

Figure 7 is a plan view showing the fabric sections of Figure 6 united in the fo'rm of the back panel,

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 3 showing the overlapped construction of the fabric forming the reinforced side section, and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 2 showing the flared top forming a part of the back section.

Referring to the drawings, the foundation garment 10 is constructed in circular form from several elastic fabric panels. The garment 10 has a front section 11 formed from fabric material for covering the abdominal region of the wearerand provides a support panel therefor. Positioned on the outer face of the front section 11 is showing the rear conacteristics of thefront of the garment.

Each side 13 of the front panel is cut in contour and. hasattached thereto a side section 14. The side section isiformed from a top' piece 15 andabottor'n piece 16 of? two way stretchable.fabric.(see-'Figure4). Both the top andbotto'mpie'ces 'arecut so that edge 17 is of the proper contourto fit'theupper part of the contourededge 13 of the front section .11. In like manner, the bottoin piece- .16 has a'contoured edge .18which fits,'when'assembled .20of double thickness having vertically extending, op-

positely positioned points 21'and 22 which control theflattening of the hips and horizontally positioned point. 23 attached to the edge of the 'front section which lifts, supports and flattens the abdomen and opposite point 24 'attachedto the edge of the center panel of the'bac'k section which controls the back of the wearer including the buttocks. The reinforced'panel is stitchedhronnd the outer edge thereof so that theoverlapped material, while acting as a unit in'its' motion when under the tensioning onithe body" of the wearer, is also free .to compensate for any unusual'motion of the body', as each piece of the' double-ply elastic material is capable of limited of restrictive movement with respect to each other within the confines of the stitching.

Attached to each side section 14 is a back section 25 which, when sewn in place, forms the body encircling elastic garment 10. The back section 25 is constructed in three panels which'cooperatc with the other sections of the girdle to effect body forming and control. The bottom panel 26 for vcupping the buttocks is formed from two-way stretchable material attached at its sides 27 to the bottom portion of the opposite side panels and along the top edge 28 thereof to a center panel 29. Thetop edge of panel26 is concaveand adapted to receive in fitting relationship the bottom edge 30 of center panel 29 in abutting relationship. The center panel is made of verticallystretchable' fabric and attached along its side edges to the edges of the side section 14. The top edge 31 of the center panel is concave and is adapted to receive a top back panel 32 whose edge 33 is convex with a lessor degree of curvature than the concave edge in such a manner as to produce an upwardly extending flared section when thetop panel is attached to the edges of the side sections 14 (see Figure 9). This flare accommodates, receives, and controls the flesh of the back of the wearer (see Figure 9) when the garment reforms the body. The uniting of the top, center, and bottom back pieces into an integral back section forms a control section which cooperates with the reinforced side and front sections to produce cupping of the buttocks, holding and supporting of the back in a firm and relaxed position, and

smoothing of any unsightly protuberances along the top I of the back portion of the girdle.

Attached to the girdle along the inside top and bottom edges thereof is an elastic binding strip 34 which provides an edging and finishing to the top and bottom of the circular elastic garment. Attached to the bottom of the garment at the front and at the back thereof are two evenly spaced garters .35 arranged so that each-garter is position'ed atthe front and the back of eachleg of the wearer who thfiEfiIfietit is'inwcaringjposition.' The frontixirr t aofi i is rd e. a twc ysnlyisp cd cured darts lafij vhishiea nd del i g. ti t s hels t J L eeorative ,s titehing 12 which adds to the pleasing char- '4 minating at a point close to the edge of the reinforced panel 20. -These darts provide contour and add style and shape to the garment. On one side of the girdle is a vertically arranged zipper 37 "to facilitate the assembly of the garment on the wearer and the adjustment and positioning thereof. Along opposite vertical edges of the top portion of the front panel are positioned short flexible stays 38 which provide rigidity at the top of the frontal portion of the'garment to prevent the top edge from rolling.(see Figure 1). i While 1 have'disclosed herein embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention'may be embodied in many other forms, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. It will further be understood that the disclosure herein is by .way of illustration merely and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense, and that I do not intend to limit myself other than as called for by the prior art and the language of the appended claims.

I claim as myinventioni -1. A 'fonn'd'ation garment for'providing simultaneous control of the hips, thighs, abdomen, and buttocks which comprises an abdominal fabric section; a stretchable back section; and two side sections attached one to each side of said abdominalsection and to each side of said stretchable back section, each of said side sections being formed by the overlapping of portions of two pieces of two-way stretch fabric'so that the overlapping portions form a reinforced side panel of double thickness extending'upwardly and downwardly from its attachments to the abdominal section and the back section so as to be in pivotal relationship therewith, said "back section being formed from a two-way stretch fabric bottom panel, a center panel stretchable in a vertical direction, said ceriter panel extending from the top edge of said bottom panel to a substantial distance above the girth-wise median of said garment and a top fabric panel stretchable in averticaldirection attached along the edge of the top of said center panel, said top panel flaring outwardly.

2. A foundation garment for providing support otthe gbac'k of the wearer which comprises an abdominal fabric section; .two reinforced elastic side section attached one to each side of said abdominal section, each of said sections having a reinforced panel therein; and a uniting back section attached to the side sections to form a body encircling, garment, said back section having therein a panel stretchable in a'vertical direction extending above the'.'girth-wise median of said garment, said top edge of said panel being concave; a 'top panel having maximum 'stretch'ability in' the vertical direction and having a coii- .veX lower edge attached to said concave edge, said concave edge having a higher degree of curvature than said convex edge and a horizontally elongated bottom panel of .two-way stretch 'elastic'fabric whereby the top panel flares outwardly and 'said reinforced'panels provide .support'of the abdomen and the back, flattening of the hips and thighs, and" the cupping of the buttocks simultaneously."

'3. A girdle comprising a front section, a back section, and sidesection's joining them; the front section com 'prisinga fabric panel for flattening the abdomen, this fabric having its maximum Width at an intermediate point in the vertical length of the garment; the back panel being formed; in its main central region, of vertically stretch able .fabric; the side sections each comprising an upper paneLfoftwo-waystretch material, whose lower end terminates in a downward full-width angular point, and a lower panel, of two-way stretch material, whose upper end terminates in'an upward full-width angular point, these wide angular points overlapping to form a full diamond at.themidregion of each side panel, these panels being sewed together along the edges of the dia'mbn'd, the diamonds coming "approximately opposite the hip ici t io t e nea e e f on d po n s th ie- V thefrontp anel atits area of 21914 .QiQJP nt a the I il i 3 5 being joined to the main central region of the back panel which region is of vertically stretchable fabric, whereby maximum resilient strength is provided to pull upon the abdomen-flattening front panel and this pull is distributed by gradual spreading thereof upwardly and downwardly, and the double strength and corresponding resistance of the diamonds lying at the body pivot points so the abdominal pull is retained virtually unchanged as the wearer stands or sits, the main accommodation to such change in position being in the single thickness elastic material 10 above and below the hip diamonds.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Feigenbaum Apr. 5, 1949 Kips May 1, 1951 Murphy Jan. 22, 1952 Kaupp May 5, 1953 Erteszek Dec. 29, 1953 Leonard Apr. 20, 1954 Frischer Apr. 12, 1955 

